Young Love
by Chrissy G
Summary: Alex and Justin struggle to move on after losing their loves. Takes place after Wizards vs. Werewolves episode. Rated T because Justin's not as innocent as he seems.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Pinkie Promise

Justin unlocked the front door of the apartment and he, Alex, and Max walked in. They threw their backpacks onto the couch. Alex and Max sat down at the kitchen island while Justin went to the fridge and pulled out sodas for each of them. Then Theresa walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, you're home," she said. "How was school today?"

"Good," Justin said.

"Fine," Max said.

"Awful," Alex groaned.

"Ignore her," Justin said. "She's just bitter because she started health class today."

"Alex," Theresa said. "The stuff they teach in that class is very important."

"It's stuff I already know," Alex complained.

"It's stuff that needs to be reiterated. Do you know how many teenage mothers there are these days?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Mom, please. You have to have sex to get pregnant."

"I am taking myself away from this conversation _right_ now," Max said.

"Right behind you, Max," Justin said.

They both got up from their spots at the island. They grabbed their backpacks from the couch and headed to their separate rooms. Theresa turned to her daughter.

"So," she said. "Can I assume that you haven't become sexually active yet?"

"No, I haven't," Alex replied.

"You're still young. Don't rush into anything."

"I'm not. I won't. It's just…it's kinda depressing that Harper has a boyfriend and I don't."

"Well, doesn't Harper deserve to be happy?"

"Yeah, but I don't deserve to be miserable."

"Honey, I'm sorry about what happened with what's-his-name."

"Mason!"

Theresa held up her hands defensively. "OK, OK. I'm sorry."

Then she turned and left the room. Alex grabbed her soda and sat down on the couch. As she started to surf through the channels, she heard a loud noise. Alex muted the TV and listened. She heard the noise again, coming from down the hall. She got up from her spot and walked down the hall, toward Justin's room. Alex pressed her ear to the door and heard that…

"He's crying?" Alex whispered to herself. She knocked softly on the door. "Justin?"

There was no reply, so Alex slowly opened the door and popped her head in.

"Justin?"

Alex found her brother sitting on the floor in front of his bed. His knees were pulled into his chest and big, fat tears rolled off of his cheeks. Alex pushed the door open further and stepped into the room.

"Justin?"

This time, Justin looked up at her.

"Yeah, I'm crying," he sobbed, wiping some of the tears away. "Go ahead. Laugh it up. Make your jokes."

Alex crossed the room and sat down on the floor next to him. "I'm not _that _cruel." Then she looked at his hand and her eyes widened. "Justin, you're bleeding."

Justin looked at his right hand. His knuckles were scraped up, crimson red trickling down his hand. "Yeah, I know." The tip of his index finger glowed as he traced it across his hand, the cuts on his knuckles instantly healing.

"What the hell did you do?"

Justin didn't answer. He just pointed. Alex followed his finger and saw that across the room, there was a hole in the wall.

"I cannot believe you did that." She looked at her brother. "Uh, _why _did you do that?"

"I was going through my closet, looking for supplies to use for my history project, and I found this." Justin held up a lavender colored scarf. Alex gave him a confused look. "Smell it."

Alex took the scarf and held it up to her face, breathing in the scent. "Ugh, it smells like death. Ooh, and vanilla." Realization hit and Alex gasped. "Oh, no."

Justin nodded. "It belonged to Juliet."

"Justin, she's gone. She's not coming back. You've got to move on."

"I can't! I just…I really thought that…" He struggled to fight back the tears.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

Justin glanced at the door and then at his sister. "If I tell you something, you've got to _promise_ me you won't tell anybody. Not even Harper."

"I promise."

Alex held up her pinkie finger. Justin linked his pinkie with hers, binding the promise.

"I thought Juliet was the one for me. So much so that I…I gave my virginity to her." Justin started crying harder.

Alex was taken by surprise. That was not what she was expecting to hear from her goody two-shoes brother. "Wow, Justin. You were really serious about her."

Justin nodded. Alex pulled her brother into a comforting embrace. Justin put his head on her shoulder and continued to cry. When Alex looked up, she saw her mom standing in the doorway. She gave Alex a questioning look. Alex shook her head slightly and shooed her away with her hand. Theresa nodded in understanding and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Midnight Snacks

Justin had cried for a good ten minutes and then he had no more tears left to cry. Alex was quiet the entire time, just letting him cry it out. When Justin's tears subsided, she finally spoke.

"Are you going to be OK?" she asked.

"I don't know," Justin replied.

Alex grabbed the box of tissues from the nightstand and offered them to Justin. He took a few and wiped the lingering tears away.

"Just a couple of questions though," Alex said.

"What?"

"When did you lose your virginity to Juliet?"

Justin sighed. "After we saved her from the mummy."

"And…how did you keep everybody from finding out? Or catching you?"

"We were quiet. Any other details you want to know?"

"You were safe, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. I don't think we need a mini version of you running around just yet."

"Gee, thanks," Justin said sarcastically.

Alex stood. "Are you going to eat dinner with us?"

"No. I don't feel much like eating right now."

"OK. I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks, Alex."

Alex gave him a little smile. She took out her wand and pointed it at the hole in the wall.

"To fix this hole in the wall, spackle and paint will fix it all."

The hole disappeared. Then she turned and left the room, pulling the door shut behind her. She walked into the kitchen where Theresa was busy preparing dinner and Jerry was setting the table.

"What are we having?" Alex asked.

"Fried chicken," Theresa replied. "Is Justin OK?"

Jerry looked up from the place settings. "What's wrong with Justin?" he asked.

"That's what I want to know," Theresa said. "He was crying."

Jerry looked at his daughter. "Alex, what did you do to him?"

"Me?" Alex exclaimed. "I didn't do anything!"

"Jerry, Alex was comforting him," Theresa explained.

"Oh," Jerry said. "Really?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Actually, it was Juliet that he was crying about."

"Juliet?" Theresa asked. "I thought he was over her."

"Yeah, but then he found something that belonged to her and he had a complete breakdown."

"That's terrible," Jerry said.

Theresa agreed. "He must be broken-hearted."

"Uh, yeah," Alex said. "Anybody would be broken-hearted in Justin's situation."

"Well, what do we do now?" Theresa asked.

"Let him be," Jerry said. "For now. Eventually, he will get over this."

"This may take a while," Alex said. "He fell really hard for Juliet."

Just then, the kitchen timer dinged. Theresa went to the oven with mitts on her hands and pulled out the hot dish.

"Go tell your brothers that dinner's ready," Jerry said as he finished setting the table.

"Oh, Justin's not eating with us," Alex said.

"Fine. Then go tell Max."

"OK." Alex turned around. "Max, dinner's ready!"

"Alex, I could have done that," Jerry said.

"Then why didn't you?" Alex asked.

Jerry just shook his head.

Later that night, Alex awoke from a nightmare. It was a recurring dream that she had been having for the last few nights.

In her dream, she had been walking in the woods. Not paying attention, she stepped off the edge of a cliff. As she started to fall, a hand reached out and grabbed her. She looked up and saw that it was Mason who had caught her. He tried with all his strength to pull her back up, but Alex slipped from his grip. That was the point where she would wake up, hyperventilating and in a cold sweat.

As Alex started to calm, she heard noises coming from down the hall. She got out of bed and tiptoed down the hall to the living room. It was dark, the only light coming from a sappy chick-flick on the TV. In the TV's glow, Alex saw Justin sitting on the couch. He was still dressed in the clothes he was wearing earlier, and he was eating ice cream out of the carton.

"Wow," Alex said.

Justin flinched and then he looked up at her. "What?" he asked.

"You've grown boobs and a vagina."

Justin shot her a dirty look. "Did you come out here just to make fun of me?"

"No, but seeing you like this, I just couldn't resist the temptation."

"Well, that is you."

Alex pointed at the ice cream. "You feel like sharing?"

Justin sighed. "Sure. Grab a spoon."

Alex got a spoon from the kitchen drawer and took a seat next to Justin. She dug her spoon into the ice cream carton.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Justin asked.

"Why aren't you?" Alex asked.

"I asked you first."

"I had a bad dream."

"Really? Do you remember it?"

"I fall off of a cliff and Mason tries to save me, but he can't hold on."

"Hmm."

"What? What's the hmm about?"

"Well, dreams sometimes have hidden meanings."

"And what does mine mean?"

"In theory, it means that you still have feelings for him."

Alex sighed. "OK, maybe I do miss him. A little. Damn, I hate it when you're right."

"But you kind of want to thank me."

"No, I don't."

Justin gave her a little smile. Then the two of them settled in to watch the movie and eat their ice cream.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Are you OK, Justin?

Justin's depression lasted through the weekend and into Monday. The school day dragged on slowly. The teachers took notice that Justin wasn't his usual self. He was very quiet and he didn't contribute to any class discussions.

When the final bell rang at the end of the day, Justin headed down the hall towards his locker.

"Justin!"

Justin stopped and turned to see the school's principal walking towards him.

"I called your name four times. Are you ignoring me?"

"No, Mr. Laritate. I just didn't hear you."

Mr. Laritate eyed Justin suspiciously. "Are you OK, Mr. Russo?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, your teachers have expressed their concerns about your sudden change in behavior. They say you're quieter than usual, and participating less."

Justin shrugged. "I just have some things on my mind."

"Is it girl trouble?"

"Maybe. No offense, Mr. Laritate, but I'd rather not discuss my love life with my principal."

"Oh, sure, sure. But whatever it is that's bothering you, I ask that you not let it affect your schoolwork."

Justin nodded. Mr. Laritate headed back to his office. Justin continued to his locker. He gathered the books that he would need for that night's homework and shoved them into his backpack. Then Alex came over to him.

"How you holding up?" she asked.

"Fair," Justin replied. "My teachers all know that something's wrong. Even Mr. Laritate asked me about it."

"And that bothers you?"

"It's annoying. Obviously I'm not OK, so why does everyone keep asking me if I am?"

"They're worried about you, Justin."

Just then, Harper and Zeke walked over to them. The couple was holding hands and wearing matching T-shirts.

"Hey, guys," Zeke said.

"Hi, Zeke," Justin said in a toneless voice.

Harper looked at Justin curiously. "Is something wrong, Justin?"

"Will you all _please _stop asking me that?" Justin slammed his locker shut and headed for the door.

"Justin!" Alex called after him.

"Zeke, go after him," Harper urged.

Zeke let go of Harper's hand and took off after his friend. Harper turned to Alex.

"Explanation, please," she said.

"Justin found one of Juliet's scarves in his closet, and he went completely mental."

"I can see that."

"He'll be OK, really. Just don't bug him about it, alright?"

Harper nodded. Then she and Alex headed outside. There they met up with Zeke and Justin.

"Harper, I'm sorry I snapped at you," Justin said.

"It's understandable, Justin," Harper replied.

"C'mon," Alex said. "Let's get out of here."

Then the four of them started for home.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: A Need for Speed

"Jerry," Theresa said as she stirred the pasta sauce on the stove. "It's been a whole month. How long are we supposed to let him sulk for?"

"Theresa, this was a major thing," Jerry explained. "We can't force Justin to act happy when he really isn't."

Theresa sighed. "I hate seeing him like this."

"Me, too, honey." Then Jerry leaned in and kissed his wife's cheek.

Theresa turned off the stove and drained the pasta in the sink. "Dinner's ready!" she called to her children.

Max was the first to the dinner table. "Yum, spaghetti!" he exclaimed.

"Here's your warning," Theresa said. "You slurp your dinner, there will be no dessert."

Jerry finished with the place settings and Theresa brought the food to the table. Then they both sat down with Max.

"Justin! Alex! Dinner!" Theresa called out.

A moment later, Alex walked into the room, pulling a reluctant Justin along behind her. They were dressed like…

"We're going out," Alex announced.

"What?" Theresa asked. "What do you mean you're going out?"

"Justin and I are going to attend a speed dating," Alex replied.

"What the heck is speed dating?" Max asked.

"A group of girls and a group of guys get together," Justin explained. "One girl will sit down with one guy for five minutes. When time's up, they rotate. Each girl will talk to each guy. Everybody will write down comments about one another and, if interested, they'll write down their phone number with their comments."

"Justin, are you sure you want to do this?" Jerry asked.

"Alex already signed me up," Justin said. "And if I don't go, it'll mess up the guy to girl ratio."

"Well then, better get going," Jerry said.

"I'll save you some spaghetti," Theresa said.

"Thanks, mom," Alex and Justin chorused.

Alex tugged on Justin's hand. "Let's go, bro," she said and they headed out to the speed dating.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Get It to Go

Justin and Alex were very quiet as they walked home from speed dating. They both had their eyes fixed on the ground. Finally, Alex spoke up.

"Well," she said. "That could have gone better."

"Yeah," Justin agreed.

Alex sighed and looked up at her brother. "I'm sorry I forced you into this. I didn't realize there were so many desperate teenagers in New York."

Justin looked up at Alex. "It was a good idea putting the truth spell on everyone. And I know you're just trying to help."

"I just want you to be happy."

"You and everyone else."

Just then, Alex spotted a coffee shop up ahead. "Hey, do you wanna stop and get coffee before we go home?"

Justin shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

The two made their way down the street and walked into the coffee shop. Except for the barista, the place was empty. Still, the soft rock music that poured out of the overhead speakers created a welcoming environment.

Justin and Alex walked up to the counter. The barista greeted them with a smile.

"Hi," she said. "Welcome to Cool Beans. Can I take your order?"

They placed their order and then took a seat at one of the tables. Justin watched the barista as she set about making the drinks.

"You're staring," Alex said.

"I'm not staring," Justin said defensively. "I'm watching."

"It's the same thing! Why don't you go over and talk to her?"

Justin shook his head. "No, I didn't think so."

"Oh, c'mon, Justin!"

"Alex, don't push me, OK?

Alex's eyes narrowed. "I can make you."

Justin looked at Alex's hands and saw that her fingertips were glowing blue. It was an indication that she was about to use magic. Justin grabbed her hands.

"Don't!" he warned.

Alex grinned. "Talk to her."

Justin gave an exasperated sigh and released her hands. "Fine."

Justin got up from his seat and walked over to the counter. In his mind he was trying to come up with something clever to say, but nothing was coming to him. When he reached the counter, the barista had just finished making the drinks. She turned to see Justin standing at the counter. She smiled.

"Perfect timing," she said.

Justin returned her smile. "Yeah, I'd say so."

The barista set the drinks down in front of Justin. "That'll be eight dollars."

Justin's smile then faded. He realized the alternate reason Alex sent him over. It was so she wouldn't have to pay. Justin took out his wallet and handed her a ten-dollar bill. With his wallet open, the barista caught a glimpse of his ID. She looked up and pointed a finger at him.

"You're Justin Russo?" she asked.

Justin looked at her curiously. This girl knew him, but he was sure he had never seen her before. "Yeah, why do you ask?

The barista smiled. "I thought you looked familiar. Your picture is in the trophy case at Wiz Tech. You're a Twelve Ball champion."

Justin was pleasantly surprised. Here was another wizard in New York and he just happened to stumble upon her.

"You go to Wiz Tech?" he asked.

"I used to," she replied. "My parents split up recently, and my mom decided to do wizard training at home."

"I'm sorry about your parents breaking up, but your mom training you at home sounds like a great way to spend more time with her."

"It is. It works out great."

"You know, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

The barista smiled. "I'm Tina Denali."

"Tina. Nice to meet you."

"You, too. Shouldn't you be getting back to your friend?"

Justin glanced over at Alex and then turned back to Tina. "Sister," he corrected.

"Oh, OK. Um, did you want anything else?"

Justin looked up at the menu board for a moment. Then he frowned. "I don't see what I want."

Tina gave him a confused look. "What were you hoping to get?"

Justin looked back at Tina. "Your phone number."

Tina eyed him curiously. She raised her left hand. "Some are evil, some are kind, but now all must speak their mind."

Then she pointed at Justin and a spark flew from her fingertip. Justin started to ramble.

"You put the truth spell on me," he said. "You probably think I'm just some guy trying to get in your pants because that line I used was really cheesy. I think you're cute." Then Justin slapped his hand across his mouth.

Tina giggled. She waved her hand and her fingers glowed. "Take your hand off of your mouth and hold it out, palm up."

Justin did as Tina said. Tina took his hand in hers and trailed the fingers of her other hand across his palm. As she did, her name and phone number appeared in black ink. Justin looked at his hand.

"This will eventually wear off, right?" he asked.

Tina smiled. "Of course."

Justin grabbed the drinks from the counter. "You can keep the change."

"Thanks. Talk to you later."

Justin turned and walked back to the table. He and Alex waved to Tina before leaving the coffee shop.

"Don't let me forget that I owe you four dollars," Alex said to Justin.

Justin shook his head. "This one's on me."

Alex looked at him suspiciously. Justin grinned and held up his hand, displaying Tina's number. Alex smiled.

"Way to go, Justin! Back in the game!"

Then the two hi-fived each other.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Just Asking

"Pancakes for a party of five!" Theresa called from the kitchen.

Alex groaned. She had had another restless sleep as her nightmares kept waking her throughout the night. She considered rolling over and trying to go back to sleep, but the alluring scent of pancakes was calling to her.

Alex threw the covers off and got out of bed. She walked into the kitchen, where Max and Justin were already scarfing down their breakfasts.

"Good morning, chica," Theresa said.

"Morning," Alex said. She took a seat at the dining room table and started to fix her plate.

"So," Theresa said. "How did the speed dating thing go?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Justin and Alex chorused.

"Jinx, you owe me a soda!" Alex exclaimed.

Justin rolled his eyes. "Aren't you getting a little old for that game?"

"No, I'm not. Shut up and pass me the syrup."

Justin handed the syrup to Alex and she took it from him.

"Justin, what is that?" Max asked.

"What?" Justin asked.

"That. On your hand."

Justin tightened his hand into a fist. "Nothing."

Theresa looked at him curiously. "Justin, did you hurt yourself?"

"No," Justin replied, a little too quickly.

"Show them," Alex urged.

Justin shot her an icy glare. Then he looked back at his mom. Slowly, he opened his hand, revealing what was on it.

"Oh," Theresa said. "And who might Tina be?"

"She works at the coffee shop Alex and I went to last night," Justin replied.

"Is she cute?" Max asked.

"Well," Justin said. "She's a little bit shorter than me. She has wavy, dark brown hair and brown eyes. And, she's a wizard."

"Really?"

Justin nodded.

"Are you going to call her?" Theresa asked.

"Probably," Justin replied.

"You should," Alex said. "You two seemed very interested in each other."

"You know, the only thing I'm hearing from you right now is 'you'd better call her or I'm going to hurt you.'"

Alex grinned. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Later that day, Justin was sitting in his room. In his hand, he held his cell phone. He stared at the number on his other hand. He took a deep breath and then punched the numbers into the phone. It rang twice before there was an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Justin said. "Is Tina there?"

"This is she."

"Tina, it's Justin. We met at the coffee shop the other night?"

"Oh, yeah. How's it going?"

"Good. You?"

"Good. Hey, take a look at your hand."

Justin looked at his hand and saw that Tina's number had disappeared.

"Whoa," Justin said.

Tina giggled. "I must confess that had you chose not to call me, it would have disappeared after three days."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My mom taught me that when I started becoming interested in boys."

"Well, it certainly is a clever way to find out who really wants to talk to you and who doesn't."

"Exactly. So, you and your siblings don't attend Wiz Tech anymore?"

"Nope. I'm a home schooled wizard just like you."

"Mom or dad?"

"Dad. My mom's a mortal."

"Oh, your dad gave up his powers for your mom?"

"Yeah, he did."

"I think that's sweet."

"Yeah, it is. Hey, um… I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, uh…go out. With me."

"When?"

"Well, are you free tonight?"

"I get off of work at six. Pick me up at the coffee shop?"

"Sure."

"OK. So, where will we be going?"

Justin thought for a moment. "Do you like bowling?" he asked.

"I love bowling!" Tina exclaimed.

"Great! So, I'll see you at six?"

"See ya then."

"Alright, bye!"

"Bye!"

Then Justin hung up his phone. He pushed a few buttons and saved Tina's number. He shoved the phone into his pocket and went into the living room. There he found Alex and Max watching TV.

"Guess what?" Justin asked.

"You just saved a bunch of money on your car insurance by switching to Geico?" Max asked.

Alex rolled her eyes at Max. "You called Tina?" she guessed.

"Yup," Justin said. "_And_ we are going bowling tonight."

"We are?" Max asked. "Sweet! You guys are going down!"

"No, Max," Alex said. "Justin and _Tina _are going bowling."

"Oh, they're going out on a date."

"Yes, they are."

Max turned to Justin. "Tina doesn't happen to have an attractive younger sister, does she?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Q&A

At exactly six o'clock, Justin was standing outside of the coffee shop. A minute later, Tina emerged. She was dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of jean Capri's. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

She smiled when she saw Justin. "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Justin said, returning her smile. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yup."

Then the two of them headed for the bowling alley.

"Hey," Justin said. "My little brother wanted me to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?" Tina asked.

"He wants to know if you have a younger sister."

Tina laughed. "No, I don't. Sorry."

"Oh, well. Too bad for Max."

"I have a little brother, though."

"That's cool. You two get along?"

"It's a love/hate relationship. We love to hate each other."

Justin laughed. "Yeah, it's the same here."

"So, let me see. You're the oldest, then your sister."

"Alex."

"Then your brother Max."

"Correct."

They continued talking as they walked. When they reached the bowling alley, Justin held the door open for Tina. They got their rental shoes, picked out their bowling balls and got themselves set up on their lane.

"No magic, agreed?" Tina asked.

"Agreed," Justin said. "Because using magic would be cheating."

"But, let's make it a little more interesting."

Justin cocked an eyebrow at her. "What did you have in mind?"

"Each frame, whoever knocks down less pins has to take a truth or dare from the other."

Justin thought for a moment. This would be a fun way to find out more about each other. "Fine. It's a deal."

Tina extended her hand towards him. He took it and they shook hands to seal the deal.

"Let's bowl!" Tina said.

Justin and Tina quickly found out that they were pretty evenly matched in their bowling skills. At the end of the eighth frame, both of them had won four frames. Then, Tina bowled a strike in the ninth frame to take the lead.

"OK," Tina said to Justin when her turn ended. "Truth or dare?"

Justin thought for a moment. "I haven't done a dare yet, so I'll take a dare."

Tina giggled. "I dare you to bowl the next frame with your shirt unbuttoned."

Justin chuckled. "Are you serious?"

"C'mon, Justin. Don't be shy."

"I'm not shy. I'm just…" Justin paused for a moment as he tried to find the right word. "Modest."

"It's just your shirt. All articles of clothing will remain on this evening."

Justin sighed, giving in. "Alright then." He undid the buttons of his shirt.

Tina gave him a look over, gazing upon his muscular chest and abs. "Damn! Milk has done your body _good_."

Justin chuckled and his cheeks started to turn pink. "I'm going to take my turn now."

"Wait. What if we take this little game a step further?"

"What do you mean?"

"Winner of the next frame gets to ask the loser any question they want and the question _must _be answered."

"OK, deal."

They shook hands. Then Justin got up and took his turn. He bowled an eight for the final frame. Tina took her turn and on her first ball, she got a seven-ten split.

"What happens if you miss this?" Justin asked, buttoning up his shirt.

"We tie," Tina replied.

"And if we tie, then what? Do I still get to ask you a question?"

"Only if I get to ask you one in return."  
>"Fair enough. Give it your best shot."<p>

Tina threw her next ball. It went straight down the middle of the lane and in between the two pins.

"Field goal!" Justin said.

Tina laughed. "I guess it's a tie. Ask me a question and then I'll ask you one."

Justin thought for a moment. Of the four frames that he had won, Tina had chosen truth every time. So far in the game, he had learned that her first crush was Joey from New Kids on the Block, she had an irrational fear of tornadoes, her middle name was Malloren, and that she was a vegetarian. Now he had the opportunity to ask her any question he wanted, thereby doing more to figuring Tina out.

"I can ask you anything?" Justin asked.

"Yup," Tina replied. "Anything at all."

"OK. Well, this is kind of a personal question. Feel free to slap me if you think it's out of line."

Tina laughed. "OK."

Justin took a deep breath. "What's the most you've done with a guy?"

"Oh, I knew this question would come up eventually."

"I'm sorry if I'm being forward. I'm just trying to figure you out."

Tina nodded. "Well, I'm not a virgin."

"Oh," Justin said.

"But I'm not a slut either," Tina was quick to add. "I've only done 'it' with one guy."

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah. And he broke my heart. I found out that he cheated on me."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Anyway, same question to you."

Justin sighed. "My last girlfriend was my first. It ended badly, too."

"What happened?"

"For starters, she was a vampire."

Tina's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "No way!"

"Yeah. I haven't had the best of luck with girls. In addition to the vampire, I've dated a centaur, a werewolf and an elf. There were a couple of mortals in there, too."

"Do you think you'll have better luck dating a wizard?"

"I don't know." Then Justin smiled. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Tina returned his smile. "Are you going to tell me what happened with the vampire?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, we've got a long walk home."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: A Sight to See

Justin and Tina talked some more as they walked home. Then Tina stopped.

"This is my building," she told Justin.

"Oh, OK," Justin said.

He walked with Tina up the steps to the front door.

"I had fun," Tina said.

"Yeah. Me, too."

There was silence for a moment.

"So…" Justin said. "Is this the part where we kiss goodnight?"

Tina smiled. "I don't kiss on the first date."

Justin nodded. "I'll call you, then."

"OK."

He took her hand in his and placed a kiss on it. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Justin waited until Tina was safely inside the building. Then he turned and started for home. As he walked, he started replaying the date in his mind. Tuning out everything else around him, the only thing he could think about was Tina.

Suddenly, Justin was pulled out of his thoughts when a car honked at him.

"Watch where you're going, you jackass!" the driver yelled, as he drove around Justin.

Justin turned around and went back to the sidewalk. He looked around him. It took a moment to realize he was out of place. His daydreaming had caused him to walk two blocks _past _his house. Justin swore under his breath and again started for home.

This time, Justin kept his focus. He watched where he was going, constantly looking around him. As he looked around, something caught his eye. He stopped and watched a couple across the street making out. It wasn't that they were making out, but who the couple was that caused Justin to stop.

Normally, Justin wouldn't use magic to transport himself, but he needed to get home right away. He ducked into an alleyway and took out his wand. With a flick of his wrist, he was transported to his bedroom at home. He ran to Alex's room and knocked vigorously on the door. A moment later, the door opened and Alex appeared.

"What?" she asked rather annoyed.

Justin pushed his way into the room, shutting the door behind him. "I have to show you something."

"If Tina gave you a hickie, I don't want to see it."

"What? No, it's not that. You may want to sit down for this, though."

"I'll stand. Just show me what it is."

Justin sighed. "I'm sorry, Alex. But you _had _to see this."

Justin then put his wand to his temple and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they projected a holographic image in the middle of the room. Alex saw what Justin had seen earlier. It was the young couple that had been making out. When Alex realized who the couple was, a look a horror came to her face and tears started to well up in her eyes. Justin knew that Alex had seen enough. He closed his eyes and the projection disappeared. He opened his eyes again and they had returned to normal.

"Justin," Alex said, choking up a little bit. "Please tell me that wasn't real."

"I wish I could, Alex."

"I'm gonna kill him. How could he do this to me?"

"OK, just calm down. Be reasonable."

"No, it's not him. It's her. Oh, I'm gonna beat her ass."

Alex started for the door, but Justin was a quick thinker. He raced up behind her and threw his arms around her to hold her back. Alex struggled to free herself.

"Let me go!" she yelled.

"Alex, stop!" Justin yelled back. "Just stop!"

Then, Alex gave up her struggle. She burst into tears and started to fall to the floor. Justin helped her to sit down, and then pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry, Alex," he said. "But you needed to know."

"I didn't want to know," Alex sobbed. "This hurts so bad."

"Heartbreak sucks, doesn't it?"

Alex nodded. She pulled away from Justin. "Dean could have anybody. Why did he choose her?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he really likes her."

Alex scoffed. "Justin, please! We're talking about a Paris Hilton wanna-be."

"Look, I know that you hate Gi Gi, but she and Dean _are_ going out. Or, at the very least, hooking up. Dean has moved on, and maybe you should, too."

Alex looked away from him. "I held on to a hope that maybe breaking up with him would make him want me more. That…he would realize the mistakes he's made and he'd want to fix them. I guess I was wrong."

"What are you planning to do? And don't say beat up Gi Gi because Dean wouldn't like that very much."

"I'm gonna do a little detective work and find out what in the world attracted them to each other in the first place."

"Are you saying you're going to try and break them up?"

"Yes! I know I'm better than Gi Gi! Ten times better!"

"I would not recommend it, but seeing as how you do whatever you want anyway, good luck." Then Justin got up and headed for the door.

"Justin," Alex said. He stopped and turned around. "Thank you for telling me."

"It would have hurt you more if I didn't tell you."

Then Justin left the room, pulling the door shut behind him. In the hallway, he saw the rest of his family gathered.

"I should've known you'd be listening in," Justin said to them.

"My money's on Alex," Max said. "She could beat Gi Gi easy."

"Max!" Jerry exclaimed.

"I can't believe her ex-boyfriend is going out with her arch enemy," Theresa said. "And Dean _knows _how much those two hate each other."

"Well," Justin said. "Maybe dating Gi Gi will make him realize he had it better with Alex and they'll get back together."

"You really think so?"

"Not really. But Alex usually finds an indirect way to get what she wants."

"True."

"C'mon," Jerry said. "Let's just all get some sleep." He put his arm around his wife and the two went to their bedroom.

Max turned to Justin. "So?"

"Tina does have a younger sibling," Justin said. "But it's a he, not a she."

Max frowned. "She has a brother?"

"Yup. No sister."

Max snapped his fingers. "Just my luck."

Justin laughed and ruffled Max's hair. "Goodnight, Maxi."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The Enemy

The next morning at school, Alex searched the hallways for Dean. She finally found him at his locker and was a little surprised to see that he was alone. Usually, his buddies surrounded him. Alex went over to him. She had spent a good amount of time the night before thinking of what she was going to say to him.

"Hi, Dean," Alex said.

Dean turned to look at her. Alex saw his eyes light up, but his expression was unchanged.

"Hey, Russo," he said.

Alex tensed a little. "It's Alex," she corrected.

"I know." Dean shut his locker. "So, what can I do for you?"

"First, when did you get back in town?"

"A couple of weeks ago. Pops got transferred again."

"Also, I wanted to inquire about your new girlfriend."

Dean looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"Dean, my brother saw the two of you sucking face outside of the pizza parlor last night. Don't play dumb with me."

Dean grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her over to a quiet spot where they could talk.

"What, are you having your brother spy on me?" Dean asked.

"No," Alex replied. "He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

Dean sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "So, you wanna know more about what he saw?"

"Yes, I do."

"Look, Gi Gi and me have only gone out a couple of times. It's not that big a deal."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really." Then Dean grinned at her. "You know what? I think you're jealous."

Alex scoffed. "I am _so _not jealous of Gi Gi."

"You broke up with me. Why are you making a federal case about me dating another girl?"

"Because it's Gi Gi! This girl has tormented me since kindergarten and now my ex is dating her."

"You don't know Gi Gi the way I do."

"Maybe not, but I do know that she's gonna break your heart."

"Like you did?"

Alex gasped. Dean's words stung her deep in her chest. Seeing Alex on the verge of tears, Dean realized that he shouldn't have said what he did.

"Alex, I…" Dean started to say.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Alex asked. Then she turned and walked away.

At the end of the day, Alex informed Harper of Dean's new girlfriend and the conversation that took place that morning. She told Harper the story as they walked to Alex's locker.

"You know," Harper said. "Of all the reasons I don't like Gi Gi, this takes the number one spot for sure."

"I know," Alex said.

"Well, you're the evil genius. What do you plan on doing about it?"

"I'm going to try and split them up, but that doesn't seem to be going too well right now."

"You just hang in there, Alex."

"Thanks, Harper."

"Oh, no. Speak of the devil."

Alex looked up and saw Gi Gi walking their way. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the superficial snob walk down the hall.

"Bitch," Alex muttered under her breath and she started to spin the combination on her locker.

Gi Gi approached them with an insincere smile on her face. "Hello, Alex."

Alex turned to Gi Gi, her eyes burning a hole right through her. "What do _you _want?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute." Gi Gi turned to Harper. "Alone."

Alex and Harper looked at each other. She didn't want Harper to leave her, but Alex needed to get Gi Gi to talk. If sacrificing the presence of he best friend was what it would take, then so be it.

"Harper," Alex said. "I'll catch up with you later."

"OK," Harper said, and she gave Gi Gi an evil glare as she walked away.

"So," Alex said, folding her arms across her chest. "You and Dean, huh?"

Gi Gi glared at Alex. "Yeah, I'm dating your ex, you got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"You shouldn't. You're the one that broke up with him."

"You can't possibly be in love with him."

Gi Gi laughed. "Oh, Alex. You don't know what it's like to be popular."

Alex looked at her curiously. "What does that have anything to do with it?"

"Dean is not my boyfriend. He's a conquest. I'll keep him around till I get what I want and then I'll get rid of him."

Alex felt her blood boiling. Her hands balled into fists and her teeth clenched. "You little slut."

"Proud of it, darling," Gi Gi said.

"You'll be sorry when Dean's the one getting rid of you. I'm gonna tell him about this."

"What makes you think he'll believe you?"

"I have my ways. In the meantime, you can cancel those collagen injections. I'll give you a fat lip myself."

Alex took two steps towards Gi Gi before Justin (who had been watching the whole thing) stepped in between the two girls, holding his sister back.

"Alex," he said. "This isn't worth getting suspended over."

"That's right, Alex," Gi Gi said in a mocking tone. "Listen to your dorky older brother."

"You should really think before you speak, Gi Gi," Justin said. "I _could _just let her beat your fake-baked behind."

"Whatever," Gi Gi said and she walked away.

Justin waited until she was out of sight before he let go of Alex. "You'd better be careful or you're going to get yourself in a whole lot of trouble."

"Look, I'm handling heartbreak my own way, alright?"

"You're not handling it the right way."

"Oh, look who's talking!"

"Hey, I got over it."

"This is far from over, Justin. Gi Gi is using him. Her plan is to get him bed and then dump him."

"You're telling me that Gi Gi is going to fuck-and-chuck Dean?"

"Exactly."

"Damn, that's cruel. Even for Gi Gi."

"I am now even more determined to win him back and expose Gi Gi for what she really is."

Justin sighed. "Just be careful. That's all I'm going to say."

Alex nodded and then headed off down the hall.

"Hey, Justin."

Justin turned and saw Max approaching with another boy by his side.

"Hey, Max," Justin said. "Who's your friend?"

"Franklin Denali," the boy said. "Nice to meet you."

"Denali? Wait, you're Tina's brother?"

"Yes, I am."

Justin gave him a curious look. "But Tina doesn't go to our school."

"Tina goes to St. Anne's."

"The girl's school?" Justin asked. Franklin nodded. "Nice."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: A Series of Firsts

After school that day, Franklin came home with Max. The two of them had been assigned partners for a project and they were excited to get started on it.

"What is the project anyway?" Alex asked as they all walked home together.

Max explained the project. The students in the class each picked a hat out of a box. Then, based on the hat they picked, they had to create a character and perform a scene with their partner.

"That's cool," Justin said. "What hats did you pick?"

"I got a pirate hat," Max said.

"And I got a hard hat," Franklin said.

"So, how do you plan on putting the two together?" Alex asked. "You gonna be half of the Village People?"

Max and Franklin shot her a dirty look. Then the four of them walked into the sub station. Max and Franklin sat down at an empty table and started working on their project. Justin sat down at the counter. He opened his textbook and started to read. Alex went into the kitchen and started to fix herself a snack.

Suddenly, Justin felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up and saw that Tina was standing beside him. She was still dressed in her school uniform, which consisted of a maroon sweater vest over a navy blue polo shirt, a navy blue pleated skirt and knee socks.

Justin smiled at her. "Hey," he said. "This is a pleasant surprise."

Tina smiled back. "Well, Franklin's the one who told me about the Waverly Sub Station. I thought I'd check it out."

"Cool." Justin motioned to the seat next to him. "Have a seat."

Tina sat down. "So, what would you recommend for a vegetarian?"

"Besides a salad, I'd recommend a garden burger, a tofu dog, a meatless meatball sub, or a cup of vegetable soup."

"I'm impressed."

"Well, dad wanted the shop to be able to serve any customers that might come in."

"That's good business sense."

"Thanks. So, what are you in the mood for?"

"I think I'll try a meatless meatball sub."

"Coming right up." Justin got up and headed into the kitchen.

As he prepared the sandwich, Theresa came into the kitchen.

"Hey," she whispered to Justin. "Is that Tina sitting at the counter there?"

Justin glanced up at Tina. Then he turned to his mom and nodded.

"Oh," Theresa whispered. "She's cute."

Justin smiled. "You want to meet her?"

"Of course I do."

"Let me finish this first. It's for Tina."

Justin quickly finished the sandwich and Theresa followed him as he took the sandwich out to Tina.

"Tina," Justin said as he set the sandwich down in front of her. "I'd like you to meet my mom. Mom, this is Tina."

The two of them shook hands.

"I'm sorry I can't sit and chat," Theresa said.

"That's fine," Tina said. "You've got a business to run."

"Well, it was lovely to meet you."

"You, also."

Then Theresa left to tend to the customers. Tina turned to Justin.

"I like her already," she said.

Justin smiled. "I'm glad." He pushed the sandwich toward her. "Go on. Try it."

Tina picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "Mmm," she said. "That's good. My compliments to the chef."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"

"Nope. Why?"

"Well, if you're not doing anything, would you like to go to the movies with me?"

"Yeah, sure. How about that new horror movie?"

"I Know Chucky's Scream? Yeah, that sounds good. So, I'll pick you up around six?"

"Sure. You can meet me at the coffee shop." Then Tina checked her watch. "Oh, I should get going."

Justin reached over the counter and grabbed a takeout box. He put the rest of Tina's sandwich in it.

"What do I owe you?" Tina asked.

"This one's on me," Justin said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course."

Tina smiled. "You had better let me pay the next time I come in."

"Fine."

Justin handed the takeout box to her. She took it and, just before she left, she kissed his cheek.

After the movie that night, Justin walked Tina home. The movie had scared Tina and she kept looking over her shoulder as they walked.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Tina replied.

"The movie freaked you out, didn't it?"

"What makes you say that?"

Just then, a car backfired. It startled Tina and she screamed. She started to hyperventilate.

"It's OK," Justin said. "It's just a car."

"I know, I know," Tina said.

Justin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tina, you're shaking. Come here."

Justin pulled her into a comforting embrace, rubbing her back. He held her until her breathing calmed and her body stopped shaking. Then he released her from the embrace.

"I'm sorry," Tina said.

"For what?" Justin asked.

"For freaking out. Horror movies usually don't get to me like that."

"It's alright. Freaking out isn't necessarily a bad thing." He put his arm around her. "Come on. Let's go."

The two continued to Tina's apartment building. Justin walked her to the door.

"Well," Tina said. "All in all, this was a pretty good night."

"It was," Justin agreed.

"I wanted to thank you. Every other guy I've dated wouldn't have comforted me and calmed me the way you did."

"You can't have dated many decent guys, then," Justin said with a laugh.

Tina smiled. "No, I guess I haven't."

"Well, you're welcome."

"You know, I think you should be rewarded for your chivalry."

Justin cocked an eyebrow at her. "Rewarded how?"

Tina crooked a finger at him. Justin took a step toward her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him. A split second of hesitation, and Justin kissed her back. He slid his tongue across her lower lip and she allowed him entrance. Their tongues battled each other as their kiss went on for a solid minute.

When Justin broke away to catch his breath, Tina kissed his cheek and worked he way to his neck. Justin had yet to be kissed on his neck, and this new sensation was thrilling. He could feel his heart starting to race and every nerve in his body tingled.

Tina finally pulled herself away from Justin's neck. She looked up at him and smiled devilishly.

"You might want to wear a collared shirt tomorrow," she said.

"What?" Justin asked.

He turned to see his reflection in the window. On his neck, where Tina's lips had been, was a dark purple mark. He turned back to Tina and returned her wicked smile.

"You just gave me my first hickie."

"Just a little love bite."

"Are you claiming me as your boyfriend?"

"I would very much like to be your girlfriend."

Justin took her hand in his. "That settles it, then. Boyfriend and girlfriend." He kissed her cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"I'll be waiting."

Tina released his hand. She turned and went into the apartment building.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: A Reason to Celebrate

"How do I look?" Justin asked.

Max and Franklin looked up from their schoolwork. Justin was dressed in a light blue button down shirt and a pair of khaki pants.

"Date tonight?" Franklin asked.

Justin nodded. "It's our three month anniversary."

"Whoop dee doo," Max said sarcastically. "Let me know when you reach a_ real _milestone in your relationship."

Justin shot a dirty look at his little brother. "Three months _is _a big deal, Maxi."

"To you, maybe. But I don't think it's a cause for celebration."

"I agree," Franklin said. "A six month or a year anniversary would be a more celebratory occasion."

"Whatever," Justin said. "Tonight is going to be a special night."

"You mean you're gonna get some?"

"Max!"

"Dude, that's my sister you're talking about," Franklin said.

"And that is _not _what I meant by 'special'. I meant that we are having a candle-lit dinner downstairs. I made Tina's favorite meal."

"You made vegetarian lasagna?" Franklin asked.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"Impressive."

"Thanks. I just hope I didn't screw it up too badly."

"Screw what up?" Alex asked as she walked into the living room.

"Justin made dinner for Tina," Max explained.

"Ohh," Alex cooed. "That is so sweet!"

"What's so sweet?" Theresa asked as she walked into the room.

"Justin made dinner for Tina," Alex explained.

"That _is _sweet!" Theresa cooed.

Max and Franklin made gagging noises. Theresa shot them a warning glare.

"You know," Alex said. "You two could really learn something from Justin."

"Yeah," Max said sarcastically. "Like how to hide hickies."

Justin felt rage building in the pit of his stomach. "Why you little…"

Max and Franklin jumped up from their seats and ran out of the room. Justin started after them, but Theresa stopped him.

"Justin," she said.

He ignored her. "You're gonna get it, Max!"

"Justin!" Theresa yelled. "Knock it off!"

Justin took a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing some of his anger with it.

"Let me see your neck," Theresa said.

"It's not that bad," Justin said. "It's already starting to go away."

"Let me see your neck," Theresa repeated.

Justin sighed. He pulled aside the collar of his shirt, revealing the love bite that Tina had left on him a few nights before. Theresa shook her head.

"I'll have to tell your father," she said.

"Can you wait until after tonight?" Justin begged. "Please?"

Theresa folded her arms across her chest. "Why should I?"

"Because he'll ground me. Tina's gonna be here in a few minutes and dinner's all ready. I can't bail on her. Not now."

"OK, fine. But as soon as the date is over, you and your father are going to have a long talk."

"Agreed. Thanks, mom."

"Just…behave. OK?"

Justin nodded. "I will. I promise."

"Good. You'd better go. Don't keep her waiting."

Justin turned and headed for the lair. He entered the lair just as Tina was coming through the portal. She was wearing a baby doll dress. Her hair was half up, half down. She smiled when she saw Justin.

"Perfect timing," she said.

Justin smiled. "Get over here, you."

Tina crossed the room to him. They wrapped their arms around each other and shared a long kiss.

"Happy three month anniversary," Tina said when the kiss parted.

"To you as well," Justin said. "Come on, I have a surprise for you."

"Justin, I thought we agreed not to buy each other presents."

"Well, I bought the materials to _make _you a present, so it doesn't count."

Tina thought for a moment. "OK, I'll accept that."

Justin took her hand and led her out into the sub station. Tina gasped when she saw that the lights had been dimmed down. In the middle of the sub station, a table had been set up with candles and two place settings.

"This is so…" Tina said, and she was at a loss for words. "Wow. Just wow."

Justin smiled. He led her over to the table. He pulled a chair out for her and she sat down.

"I hope you brought your appetite," Justin said.

"I did," Tina replied.

"Good."

Tina picked her glass up from the table. "This isn't alcohol, is it?" she asked as she inspected the bubbly liquid.

Justin chuckled. "It's ginger ale."

"Oh, my favorite!"

"Yeah, I know. Stay here and I'll be right back with the food."

Justin went into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two covered plates. He set them down on the table.

"It smells good," Tina said.

"Thank you," Justin said. "Are you ready for the big reveal?"

"Ready."

"OK. Here it goes."

Justin lifted the covers off of the plates. Tina looked at the plate in front of her and then up at Justin.

"Vegetarian lasagna?" she asked. Justin nodded. Tina got up from her seat and hugged him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome," Justin laughed.

"No guy has ever cooked for me," Tina said. Then as an afterthought, "I don't think any of them knew how."

They laughed.

"I hope I did alright," Justin said.

"I will be the judge of that," Tina said.

They both took their seats. Justin took his glass in his hand.

"Would a toast be in order?"

"Yes, I think that would be appropriate." Tina took her drink in her hand.

"To us and the three great months we've spent together."

"It went by fast. Let us hope that there will be many more to come."

They smiled and clinked their glasses together.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Mess Up and Fess Up

The dinner was a hit. Tina enjoyed her vegetarian lasagna so much that she asked for seconds. Justin was happy that Tina liked her surprise.

When they finished eating and cleaned everything up, they went into the lair and snuggled up to each other on the couch.

"Justin?"

"Yeah?"

"You are the sweetest, most thoughtful guy I have ever met."

Justin smiled. "And I think you are the sweetest, most beautiful girl I have ever met."

Tina returned his smile. She leaned in and kissed him. Their game of tongue tag went on for several minutes. When they broke the kiss to get some breathing in, Justin knew it was time to talk.

"Tina," he said. "I have something to tell you."

"Uh oh," Tina said. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, no. It's OK. It's just that…Max ratted me out to my mom about the hickie. She promised not to tell my dad until after you leave. They have a rule against hickies, so I'm pretty sure they're going to ground me."

"Oh, Justin. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I thoroughly enjoy getting hickies from you."

Tina giggled. "I don't want to leave you now."

"And I don't want you to leave."

They kissed again, starting another round of making out.

"Ahem."

Justin and Tina pulled away from each other. They had been so caught up in each other that they didn't notice Jerry and Theresa enter the lair. Tina smiled nervously at them.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Russo," she said.

"Hello, Tina," Jerry said.

"Justin, it's getting a bit late," Theresa said. "Don't you think it's time Tina headed home?"

Justin checked his watch. "Oh. I didn't realize it was so late."

"I should be going," Tina said. "I have some things to get ready before school tomorrow."

Justin walked her over to the portal. The two gave each other a goodbye hug.

"Let me know how it goes," Tina whispered.

"I'll send you word as soon as I can," Justin whispered back.

They gave each other a quick kiss. Then Tina stepped through the portal.

Justin turned to his parents. "OK, she's gone."

"Jerry," Theresa said. "Justin has something to show you."

Justin revealed the hickie to his father. Jerry frowned when he saw the mark.

"Theresa," he said. "I'd like to talk to Justin alone."

Theresa nodded. She turned and left the room.

"Sit down," Jerry said.

The two of them sat down on the couch.

"Justin, do you know why your mother and I have the no hickie rule?"

Justin thought for a moment. "Because you think they're trashy?"

"Exactly. Also, hickies can lead to…other things."

"Like sex?"

Justin was sure he saw his dad flinch at the word.

"Yes," Jerry said.

"So, you're worried that I'm going to start having sex, get a girl pregnant, drop out of school and be stuck in some crappy job? Dad, it's just a hickie!"

"I know. And I know you're smart enough to not let that happen."

"I am."

"I trust you to make the right decisions. I really do."

Jerry's words made Justin cringe. An overwhelming sense of guilt started to take a hold of him.

"Dad," he said. "I have to confess something to you."

Jerry looked at him curiously. "What is it, Justin?"

Justin sighed. "OK, I can tell you anything, right? Talk to you about anything?" Jerry nodded. "Well, um…I'm…I'm not a virgin."

Jerry blinked. "What?"

"I'm not a…"

"No, no. I heard you the first time. I just wasn't expecting to hear that."

A silence passed between them as Jerry processed what his son had just told him.

"Wait a second," Jerry said. "Was it with Tina? Is that where the hickie came from?"

"No, it was with Juliet."

Jerry's eyes narrowed. "When did this happen?"

Justin sighed and hung his head. "After we got her back from the mummy."

"Justin, I trusted you!"

"I know. I just really thought Juliet was the one for me. And if it makes any difference, I did use protection."

Jerry sighed. "Well, I'm glad that you were smart about it. And I hope you continue to do so."

"I don't think that's a concern right now."

"Might be in the future. However, you're still grounded."

"Fine. I'll take it."

"For three weeks."

Justin's eyes widened. "Three weeks?"

"Yes. Two weeks for lying about the hickies and another week for breaking the rules with Juliet."

Justin sighed. "Fine."

"Your grounding includes no TV, no Internet, no phone, no Wiz Web, no flying carpet, no I.P.P. and no going out or having friends over. Understand?"

Justin nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Jerry turned and left the lair.

Justin made sure his dad was totally out of sight. Then he grabbed a piece of paper and started to write. The one thing Jerry had forgot to include in his restrictions was the wizard mail.

**Dear Tina,**

**I just talked with my dad. I showed him the hickie, but I also fessed up about Juliet. It probably wasn't the best decision. I'm grounded for three weeks. This is the only form of communication that is available to me. Write back to me soon.**

**-Justin**

Justin folded up his note and sent it off through the wizard mail.

The next morning, Justin woke earlier than usual. He snuck into the lair and checked on the wizard mail. Sure enough, there was a note from Tina. He snatched it up and read it over.

**Dear Justin,**

**I'm sorry you were grounded. Your dad may have banned you from having friends over, but I can still come to the sub station for a meatless meatball sub. (Wink, wink) I'm still going to miss you like crazy. Good news is you'll be off grounding in time for my birthday. I'll try to stop by the sub station sometime.**

**-Tina**

Justin grabbed a blank sheet of paper and quickly scribbled his reply.

**Dear Tina,**

**I'm glad I won't be missing your birthday. If you think the anniversary dinner was a big surprise, just wait. Your birthday present will be bigger and better. I'm going to miss you, too. I hope you do stop in to the sub station soon.**

**-Justin**

He folded up the note and sent it through the mail. When he looked up, he was startled to see Alex standing in the room. She folded her arms across her chest and smiled.

"You know," she said. "I do believe that I've been a bad influence on you."

Justin smiled back. "I think so."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Wizards with Talent

The wheels in Justin's head had been turning all day as he tried to come up with some big surprise for Tina's birthday. He wanted to do something special for her. Something that would make a lasting impression on her.

At the end of the school day, Justin still hadn't come up with anything special enough. He headed to his locker to get his textbooks when the school's announcements came of the PA.

"Attention, students," the PA boomed. "Friday afternoon we will be holding auditions for the school's talent show. Auditions will be held in the school auditorium at two-thirty."

A smile came to Justin's face. He slammed his locker shut and went off to find Alex. He found her, Zeke, Harper, Max and Franklin sitting on the front steps of the school.

"Hey," Justin said. "Who wants to be in the talent show with me?"

"Not I," Alex said.

Harper looked at her best friend. "Why not?" she asked.

"I'm already working on my own thing," Alex replied.

"Let me guess," Max said. "You're going to perform a song with a message that will get Dean to break up with Gi Gi and come back to you."

"No," Alex said. "But I like your idea better. Let's go with that."

"Alex," Justin sighed. "Dean and Gi Gi have been together for the last four months."

"Off and on," Harper interjected.

Justin ignored her. "Do you really think he'll just _leave _Gi Gi?"

"Well, what have I got to lose?" Alex asked. "Besides, you're probably going to use the talent show as Tina's birthday present anyway."

"It's not the same thing."

"Yeah. Whatever, Justin." Then Alex turned and walked away.

"Are you using the talent show as Tina's present?" Franklin asked.

"Well," Justin said. "She likes boy bands, so I thought…"

Franklin groaned. "You're gonna sing a New Kids on the Block song?"

"Yes, that was the plan."

"I'm in," Zeke said.

"Thanks, man," Justin said. "I knew I could count on you."

"If Zeke's in, so am I," Harper said.

"Good," Justin said. "I'm gonna need you for costumes."

"I'll look into the New Kids on the Block style and sketch something for you."

"Sounds great. Thanks, Harper."

Franklin sighed heavily. "Well, Tina is my one and only sister. I guess I'm in, too."

"Thanks, Franklin." Justin turned to his brother. "One more to make it complete."

Max shook his head. "You must be out of your mind if you think I'm gonna sing and dance to New Kids on the Block in front of the whole school."

"C'mon, Max," Franklin said.

"Hey, you owe me one," Justin said.

Max scowled. "I don't owe you anything!"

"You're the one who told on me and got me grounded."

"Alright, fine. I'll do it. But just for the record, you got yourself grounded."

"OK, whatever."

"Justin," Zeke said. "Do you think you're gonna be let off your grounding for this?"

"Yes," Justin replied. "Extra curricular activities are important. Everyone come with me to the sub station."

The five of them got up and headed for the sub station.

Justin and Max walked into the sub station with the others in tow. Harper, Zeke and Franklin sat down at a table. Justin and Max went into the kitchen to talk to their parents.

"What are Zeke and Harper doing here?" Jerry asked.

"Having nachos?" Max offered.

"I don't think so," Theresa said. She turned to Justin. "You know you're not allowed to have friends over while you're grounded."

Justin held up his hands defensively. "Just hear me out, OK?"

Jerry folded his arms across his chest. "We're listening."

"There's gonna be a talent show at our school. I was thinking about getting an act together and dedicating the performance to Tina."

"The talent show is on the same day as Tina's birthday," Max explained. "Justin's grounding is over the same day, too."

"So," Jerry said. "You think you can just loop hole through the no friends restriction by putting Zeke and Harper in your talent show act?"

"Franklin and I are gonna be in it, too," Max added.

"Jerry," Theresa said. "We agreed not to ban the kids from extra curricular activities."

Jerry sighed. "You've been hanging around your sister too much. She's starting to rub off on you."

"Does that mean yes?" Justin asked.

"As long as you stick to working on the act. No goofing around."

"Agreed. Thanks, dad."

Justin and Max walked out of the kitchen and over to where the others sat.

"We'd better get to work," Justin said."

"Your dad's letting you do the show?" Zeke asked.

Justin nodded. The group cheered and shared hi-fives.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: He Wouldn't

"Alex," Theresa said as she walked into the living room. "Can you come downstairs and help us out?"

"Can't you get Justin or Max to do it?" Alex asked, not taking her attention away from the TV.

"They're working on their act for the talent show. If you'd like to have food to eat, I need to go grocery shopping."

Alex groaned. "Fine!" She turned the TV off and went downstairs.

The sub station wasn't too busy, so Alex spent her time filling napkin dispensers. As she filled the last one, she caught the reflection in the shiny chrome. She turned around to see Dean walking into the sub station. He sat down at a table and rested his chin on his hand. Alex eyed him curiously for a moment and then walked over to him.

"Hey," Alex said.

Dean looked up at her. "Hey, Alex," he said in a toneless voice.

Alarms immediately started going off in Alex's head. "Are you OK?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know."

Alex looked over her shoulder. Her dad was busy in the kitchen, so she sat down across from Dean.

"Girl trouble, maybe?" Alex asked.

Dean sighed. "Yeah, it is."

"Did Gi Gi break up with you again?"

"Nah, I broke up with her this time."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Dean gave her a suspicious look. "Really?"

"Well, yeah. It's obvious that you're upset about it. I don't want to see you upset."

"Thanks."

"Well, if you need to talk about it, I could always use an excuse to take a break."

Dean gave her a little smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

Alex stood. "Can I bring you anything? A salad, maybe?"

"Sure."

Alex went into the kitchen and grabbed a head of lettuce. She put it in a bowl and shoved a fork into it.

"Done," she said to herself.

She picked up the bowl and took it to Dean.

"There ya go," Alex said and she set the bowl down in front of him. "Let me know if you need anything else."

Alex started back to the kitchen.

"Wait," Dean said. She stopped and turned around. "I wanna talk to you."

Alex came back to the table and sat down. "What is it?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"For?"

"Look, I know I wasn't the world's greatest boyfriend. I had a hard time showing my emotions and giving affection. Still, I want you to know that I did care about you."

"Yeah, I know. I think I realized that a little too late."

"I know this is gonna sound a little corny, but do you think we could be friends?"

Alex sighed. "I'm really not sure about that. I don't exactly approve of your current choice of on-again, off-again girlfriend."

Dean shook his head. "Nah, I think we're done for good this time."

Alex started to panic. She worried that Gi Gi had gotten what she wanted. Poor Dean.

"Why?" Alex asked. "What did she do?"

"It wasn't her," Dean said. "It was me."  
>"OK, so what did you do?"<p>

"It was more like what I didn't do."

Alex's eyes widened. She knew exactly what Dean was getting at.

"You wouldn't sleep with her," she said.

Dean nodded. "She kept pressuring me, but I'm just not ready for that. It's not fair that everyone thinks I'm a bad boy who sleeps around."

"I don't think that. I never did."

"You honestly didn't think I was gonna sleep with Gi Gi?"

"Well, I just thought that if you loved her enough, you might have."

Dean shook his head. "I'm not sure I loved her like that. You know what I mean?"

"I think so."

"Alex!" Jerry called from the kitchen. "Break's over!"

"I gotta go," Alex said to Dean.

"I'll talk to you later," Dean said.

Alex got up and left Dean to his salad.

When Justin's rehearsal finished, Alex pulled Harper aside. She told Harper about what had happened in the sub station earlier that day.

"So," Harper said. "Gi Gi's plan was to get Dean in bed and then break up with him, but Dean doesn't want to sleep with Gi Gi, so _he _broke up with _her_. Gi Gi loses and everything's peachy."

Alex shook her head. "It's not that simple. Gi Gi wants to conquer Dean, she's gonna do it."

"You think they'll get back together?"

"I think Gi Gi's gonna try."

"Well, how's your talent show act coming? Are you still going to perform?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna perform. The routine needs a little work, though."

"I'm sure it'll be great. And I'm sure Dean's going to like it. Well, I gotta get going. Zeke and I are going out for dinner."

"OK. See ya later."

Harper got up and left. Alex sprawled out on her bed, looking up at her ceiling. She stayed that way for a while, just letting the day's events replay in her mind.

Dean had asked to be her friend. Alex saw this as a good thing. It meant that he still had some feelings for her and that he trusted her. Maybe, just maybe, winning him back wouldn't be as hard as she thought it would be.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: On With the Show!

The night of the talent show finally arrived. The performers had been practicing very hard, both after school and at home. Before the show, Justin hung around the lobby, waiting for Tina to arrive.

"Justin!"

Justin turned and saw Tina emerge from the crowd. He hurried over to her and they hugged each other.

"I'm so glad you came," Justin said.

"I wouldn't miss it," Tina said. "Franklin says you've got something special planned."

"You'll see. Hey, we're all gonna go out afterwards. You wanna join us?"

"Of course."

"Great. I gotta go get ready."

"OK, I'll see ya later.

Justin kissed her cheek and headed backstage. Tina went into the auditorium and found herself a seat. A few minutes later, Jerry, Theresa and Dean joined her. Tina leaned over to Dean.

"Did Alex tell you anything about Justin's act?" she asked.

Dean shook his head. "Justin tell you anything about Alex's act?"

Tina shook her head. "I guess we're both in for a big surprise."

Mr. Laritate was the master of ceremonies. He announced each of the acts.

"I've just received a note here," he announced. "This next act would like to wish a happy birthday to Tina Denali, who is in the audience tonight. Also, they would like to dedicate their performance to her. So here they are. Please welcome Justin, Zeke, Harper, Max and Franklin."

The audience clapped as the group came out on stage and took their places. When the music started, a big smile came to Tina's face. She recognized the song immediately. It was The Right Stuff by New Kids on the Block.

The choreography was perfect, everyone in sync with each other. Justin sang the lead vocals and the others backed him up. They harmonized well, and Tina could tell that a lot of work went into their act.

When the song was finished, the audience stood. They all clapped and cheered. Theresa put her fingers to her lips and whistled. Even from where she was standing, Tina could see that Justin had a huge smile on his face. The group joined hands and bowed before exiting the stage.

"What a performance!" Mr. Laritate said when the applause ended. "Thank you, Justin, Zeke, Harper, Max and Franklin. Now, let's welcome our next performer: Alex!"

The crowd clapped as Alex walked onto the stage. She took her spot and then the music started. Dean watched as she sang and danced to You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. He knew that Alex was singing to him. He smiled to himself.

Alex's act also received thunderous applause and cheers. She took a bow and exited the stage. Harper was waiting for her just off stage.

"Well?" Harper asked.

"He smiled," Alex said.

"So, either he thought it was sweet or he thought it was a joke."

"I'm gonna go with sweet and hope for the best."

Then the two best friends hugged each other.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Getting Back

After the show, everyone met up in the lobby. Tina spotted Justin and hurried over to him. She threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss.

"What was that for?" Justin asked.

"I meant what I said before," Tina said. "You really are the sweetest, most thoughtful guy I have ever met."

They smiled at each other and kissed again.

Meanwhile, Alex scanned the crowd for Dean. As she looked, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Gi Gi standing there, giving her an icy glare.

"You think you're _so _clever, don't you?" Gi Gi asked.

"Yeah," Alex said. "I do."

"Please! You really think you're little stunt is gonna get Dean back?"

"If you think you can convince him to take you back, you obviously don't know him as well as you thought."

Just then, Dean appeared on the scene.

"Everything OK?" he asked.

"Great," Gi Gi said. "Just complimenting Alex."

Alex rolled her eyes. She hoped Dean was smart enough not to buy Gi Gi's sweet and innocent act.

"Dean," Gi Gi said. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"One minute," Dean said. Then he turned to Alex. "I'll be right back."

Gi Gi took Dean's hand and led him to a quiet spot to talk.

Alex had had enough. She was not going to stand by and let Gi Gi continue to manipulate and deceive Dean. She waved her hand, her fingers glowing. She said a spell under her breath.

"One thing you forgot to mention. Now tell Dean your true intention."

She pointed her finger at Gi Gi and a blue spark flew from it.

"Alex!"

Alex quickly turned around. Justin and Tina were there, holding hands.

"What are you doing?" Justin whispered.

"It's a truth spell," Alex whispered back. "Gi Gi's going to tell Dean the truth about their relationship, once and for all."

"And then what?"

Alex thought for a moment. "I don't know."

"You might not wanna be here for the aftermath. We're heading out to the diner. Are you coming?"

"Pancakes? Of course."

The three of them rounded up the others and the group headed out to the diner.

"Yo, Alex! Wait up!"

Alex stopped and turned to see Dean running after her. When he caught up, his face was flushed and he struggled to catch his breath.

"I gotta stop skipping gym," he said.

"Are you OK?" Alex asked.

Dean nodded. "Where you going?"

"Oh. Well, you were talking to Gi Gi, so I thought…"

"I would've liked it if you had waited for me."

"So, what did she have to say?"

"Oh, I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"OK. Um, I'm going to the diner with my brothers and some of our friends. You wanna come?"

"Yeah, sure."

Nobody seemed to mind Alex inviting Dean at the last minute. While eating pancakes, they chatted and took turns playing songs on the jukebox.

Zeke and Harper were the first couple to leave as Zeke's parents enforced a strict curfew. Dean and Alex left soon after.

"You want me to walk you home?" Dean asked.

"OK," Alex replied.

Then they started for home.

Dean looked over at Alex. "I liked your act."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're a good singer."

Alex smiled. "Thanks."

They were quiet for a brief moment.

"Just so we're clear," Dean said. "That song was directed at me, wasn't it?"

"Um…yeah. It was."

Dean nodded. "Good. I needed that."

"What _did _happen with you and Gi Gi?"

Dean sighed. "She told me she just wanted to have sex with me. That she was gonna break up with me after we did."

"I'm sorry."

They stopped. "What are you sorry for?" Dean asked.

"She told me all of this," Alex explained. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think that you would believe me."

Dean thought for a moment. "I probably wouldn't have."

"Yeah, you would've thought I was making it up because I was jealous."

"Were you jealous?"  
>"Honestly, yes. I was." Alex sighed. "Dean, I didn't want us to break up."<br>"I know. I didn't want us to break up either."

Another silence passed between them.

"So," Alex said. "Where does this leave us now?"

Dean brought his hand up to cup her face. "Would you give me another chance?"

"I think we can start over again."

He pulled his hand away from her face and held it out to her. "Hi, I'm Dean."

Alex giggled. "Nice to meet you, Dean. I'm Alex."

They shook hands. They laughed as Dean wrapped his arm around her and escorted her home.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: A Bump in the Night

Justin and Tina were the last couple to leave the diner. Max and Franklin decided to stay a little longer to listen to the rest of their jukebox choices.

"I loved your act," Tina said as they walked home.

"I was hoping you would," Justin said.

"How long did it take you to put that together?"

"Four days. Then three weeks to perfect it."

Tina smiled. "You really think I got it?"

Justin started to sing to her.

You've got the right stuff, baby Love the way you turn me on

_You've got the right stuff, baby_

_You're the reason why I sing this song_

Tina giggled. They stopped and Tina kissed Justin. As the kiss went on, Justin heard a noise. He broke away from the kiss.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Tina asked.

The noise came again, closer and louder. They turned and saw a shadowy figure approaching. They both pulled their wands out, ready to defend themselves. The shadowy figure stopped.

"Put your wands away," the figure said. "I won't harm you."

Justin's eyes widened and he gasped. His wand fell from his hand and clinked against the pavement. He'd recognize her voice anywhere.

"Juliet?" he asked.

The figure stepped under a streetlight and Justin saw that it was Juliet. She gave him a little smile.

"Hello, Justin," she said.

Justin picked up his wand and tucked it away. "What are you doing here? I thought your family moved to Brazil."

"We had to finish the sale on the restaurant. We won't be staying long." Juliet glanced at Tina. "Do I get an introduction?"

"Sure. Juliet, this is Tina. Tina, this is Juliet.

Tina smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Juliet said. "Do you mind if I talk to Justin for a minute?"

"Not at all," Tina said.

Justin walked over to Juliet. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Juliet nodded. "When we finish up here, we'll be heading to Washington."

"Wait, Washington the state?"

"Yes. Let's just say that those popular vampire books are loosely based on true stories."

"Wow. That's pretty cool."

Juliet glanced at Tina. "You seem to being doing well."

"Yeah, I am." Justin also glanced over at Tina.

"I'm glad to see that."

Justin sighed. "I'm sorry that we couldn't make it work."

"We tried, Justin. And I can see how happy you are."

"I am. But the question is are you?"

"I'm working on it. Don't worry about me. Just focus on yourself and Tina."

"I will."

Then they hugged each other. Juliet turned to Tina and motioned her over. Tina walked over to them and stood next to Justin.

"You've got yourself a great guy there," Juliet said.

"Yes, I know," Tina said. "I'm very lucky."

"Take good care of each other."

"We will."

"Goodbye, Juliet," Justin said.

"Goodbye, Justin," Juliet said. Then she flipped her cape around. She turned into a bat and flew away.

"That was a little awkward," Justin said.

"I thought it was sweet," Tina said.

"I guess it was." Justin took her hand in his. "Um, I was going to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Justin took a deep breath. "I love you."

Tina smiled. "Oh, Justin. I love you, too.

Justin kissed her with more passion then he ever had before. Tina's fingers tangled in his hair. His hands went to her hips and he pulled her closer. Tina broke away from the kiss.

"Calm down, Justin," she whispered.

Justin took a step away from her. His cheeks started to turn pink. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for."

He took a deep breath. "I guess we're not ready for that yet."

Tina smiled. "Not yet."

"Well, my lady. Shall we continue the walk home?"

"I believe we shall."

Justin bowed before her, extending his hand. Tina giggled and curtsied in return. Then she took his hand and they walked home.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: Happily Ever After

Meanwhile, back at the dinner, Max and Franklin were finishing up their pancakes.

"Hey, Franklin."

"Yes, Maximillion?:

"Question for ya."

"Shoot."

"Harper and Zeke love each other. Alex and Dean love each other. Justin and Tina love each other. So, who loves us?"

"We're single, dude."

Suddenly, Max looked up, past Franklin. He smiled.

"Not for long, my friend," he said.

Franklin turned around to see what Max had been looking at. He saw a set of identical twin girls sit down a few tables over from them. He turned back to Max and grinned.

"Good looking out," Franklin said.

The two fist bumped and then got up to introduce themselves to the twins.

It just so happened that Alex and Justin returned home at the same time. They met up at the front door.

"A little late, aren't you?" Justin asked.

"So are you," Alex pointed out.

"So, how did it go?"

"We're back together."

"I kinda figured that. But what did you do to mess up your hair so badly?"

"Dammit!" Alex ran her fingers over her head. Her hair straightened, every strand in place.

"So?" Justin prodded.

"It's not you think, you pervert," Alex said. "We just made out."

"A lot."

"But what about you? You've got a bit of a glow on your face."

"This is what being in love looks like."

Just then, Max appeared on the scene.

"Hey, guys," he said.

"Max," Justin said. "Have you and Franklin been at the diner all this time?"

Max nodded. "We met these twin girls, who we'll be taking to the movies on Friday night."

"Good for you, Max," Alex said. "What are you going to see?"

"That new horror movie," Max replied.

"Oh, I so want to see that!" Justin exclaimed.

"Me, too," Alex agreed.

"Hey, why don't we make it a group date?" Justin suggested. "Max, Franklin and the twins, me and Tina, Alex and Dean, and Harper and Zeke?"

"OK," Max said. "Just as long as you all promise not to make out with each other the whole time."

Alex smirked. "You know I can't promise that."


End file.
